In brief
- On 8 August 2020, Somaliland Sun published a report describing Shaba Water Company's management of water supply in Borama as unique.
- The report recorded a request from Shaba's manager and board for funding to source two boreholes found in the Satawa area.
- No evidence in the Somaliland Sun report establishes what has happened to those boreholes or the company's operations since that date.
On 8 August 2020, Somaliland Sun published a report headlined "Somaliland: Shaba Water Company's Unique Management of Water Resource and Supply in the Country". The report described how Borama's water supply was managed and distributed, attributing the arrangement to Shaba Water Company and its community board. That report remains the most recent public account of the utility's model in the Somaliland Sun archive.
According to Somaliland Sun, Dawan Media Group senior journalist Dahir Mohamed Hadi visited the company's offices and met its CEO, Eng Abdirahman Abdisalan Sheikh Ali Jowhar, and other community board members. The publication reported that the company both sources and distributes water, and that much of Borama's water was formerly sourced from the eastern parts of the city. The company was exploring and drilling boreholes in the western areas, with the latest efforts in the Satawa vicinity.
The report characterized Borama as "arguably the best city in the country" for water supply distribution and management, and claimed that "almost every household" receives piped tap water, crediting the "local water management acumen of Shaba Water Company". It also said the area's populaces praise the company's work, its new management and community board members. Somaliland Sun did not cite any survey or utility data to support these characterizations.
The company has drilled several boreholes to bolster supplies, according to the publication, and international NGOs, along with local government and water ministries, "initially" supplemented and sustained those efforts. No dollar amounts, project dates or specific NGO names were provided.
In the 8 August 2020 report, the manager and board members of Shaba Water Company were quoted requesting support from the government, international NGOs and well-wishers to fund two new boreholes found in the Satawa area. The CEO described the sourcing efforts as costly and in need of aid or help. The report did not state the cost of the boreholes, a timeline, or whether any funding had been committed.
The Somaliland Sun article does not establish what has happened since 8 August 2020. There is no subsequent reporting in the source to indicate whether the Satawa boreholes were funded, drilled, or completed, or how Shaba Water Company's management model has evolved. The publication's claim of a "unique" management model is not independently defined or verified in the report.
Frequently asked questions
What are the unique management practices of Shaba Water Company?
The Somaliland Sun report of 8 August 2020 describes the company's management as unique but does not define or verify the specific practices that make it unique.
How does Shaba Water Company finance and maintain infrastructure?
According to the report, international NGOs and local government and water ministries initially supplemented the company's efforts, but no financial details or current funding arrangements were provided.
What challenges does Shaba Water Company face in expanding supply?
The CEO described the sourcing efforts as costly and requiring aid or help, and the manager and board requested funding for two boreholes in Satawa, but no cost figures or commitments were stated.